Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Message 68:5
The Lord is mindful of his people and has heard the prayers from the heart. I am commanded that answer shall come. Therefore, I came to speak life and the will of the Lord. I am the Elias. I am set to refine and make ready a people before the Lord. This is my mission. Deliverance shall come to many.
John comes to bring us hope and reassurance. His mission is to help us prepare to be Christ people. We need a lot of help, and John comes to give it to us.
Matthew 17:10-13
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Christ talked about the need for the Elias to first come. Christ said he will “come and restore all things” We know that John the Baptist is the Elias, but John did not restore “all things” during his time on earth. We know this because Christ had not created his church yet. How could John restore it if it was not created yet? This means that John must come again as a resurrected being. This is happing today. John is bringing a message from Christ to us on earth. He is restoring “all things” and preparing the way for Christ’s return.
Message 73:1-4
“Write the message I will give you. Take heed the words I speak, for I speak the Lord’s words and will. The Lord your God has sent me in the past and I will yet come in the future. I come now with a message. I am the Messenger of the Lord, the forerunner of the Christ that will come for his own. All those that love his appearing shall find rest and peace with him. I am John the Baptist, the Elias, which was for to come. I come at the Lord’s appointing. I am the Branch; he that shall prune, refine and purify all that may dwell in the presence of the Lord and King of kings. I bring peace like a river and the flowing stream of joy and life to all that heed and obey. I come that the plan might be fulfilled and great peace established.
Here the messenger does a great job of telling us what his mission is and where he comes from. John is here to tell us the words of God. These are words of encouragement and instruction. They tell us what we need to do and give us the assurance to do it. Let us follow these instructions and apply them to our daily lives.
Message 66:2
Behold, I am the servant of the Lord, the blessed one sent of God. I come from his presence and my name is John. I am the same that was and is called the Baptist. I am the Elias. I bring the Elijah Message many have looked for. I bring words of the Lord. I bring a warning.
We know that the messages that we today are brought by the same messenger that the Lord promised us that he would send. We know this because he told us so. John explains several times in the messages that he is the one that God has sent and what his mission is. The words that he brings agree with the ones that we already have in the Bible and The Record of the Nephits.
Malachi 3:1-3
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Before the second coming of Christ, God promises us that he will send a messenger to prepare the way before him. We know this is before the second coming because it says that the Lord will come to his temple. When Christ came the first time he did not suddenly at his temple. It also states that the messenger will purify the house of Levi, the ministry. Since Christ started the ministry, there was nothing to purify back then. This means that this must happen before the second coming of Christ. This messenger is coming now to prepare the way. His name is the John the Baptist and he is fulfilling this prophesy.
Message 87:21
Be at peace. I leave a blessing in this place upon all that hear my words. I will continue to come until the work is finished.
Let us be assured that John will come again. He promised he would come until the work is finished. We can not worry about the future of the Church or of God’s plan. God has all things under control. Let us be filled with the peace that all things are in God’s hands.
